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<h1 align="center"><span class="pagetitle">Internet Explorer (Windows)</span>
<font size=4><a href="http://www.microsoft.com">(Microsoft&reg;)</a></font><br>
<font size=2>= <span class="sitetitle">Index DOT Html/Css</span> by <a href="../misc/email.htm">Brian Wilson</a> =</font></h1>

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<table cellpadding=5 width="90%">
<tr><td colspan=3><hr></td></tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><big><b class="mainheading">Platforms</b></big></td>
     <td valign=top align=left colspan=2>
         <b class="subheading">Macintosh:</b> OS8.1-9.x, OSX<br>
         <b class="subheading">PC:</b> Win95/98/ME, 3.X, NT [Alpha, Intel, Mips, PPC], 2000/XP<br>
         <b class="subheading">Unix:</b> Solaris, HP-UX<br>
     </td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><big><b class="mainheading">About the<br>Browser</b></big></td>
     <td valign=top align=left colspan=2>The original IE 1.0 browser code was
         licensed from Spyglass (a commercial arm for the NCSA Mosaic browser work),
         but the Microsoft team quickly made a big mark on the original codebase.
         The first two product cycles occurred within a very short span of time, and
         allowed the browser to gain a little bit of ground against its main rival -
         Netscape.
         <br><br>

         Netscape, meanwhile, launched its ambitious 2.0 version, which introduced
         the browsing world to Javascript, frames, and Plug-in technology. For a while,
         it looked like Microsoft would forever play second-fiddle to catch up to the
         ever-dominant Netscape. This was when the infamous "Browser Wars" began in
         earnest... and despite the technological ground it needed to gain, Internet
         Explorer market share slowly grew.
         <br><br>

         Internet Explorer 3.0 brought the Microsoft browser MUCH closer to the
         bar that had been set by Netscape than ever before (integrating frames, plug-ins
         technology and a reverse-engineered version of Javascript) while also
         innovating in new areas (CSS and VBScript.) But, when the companies released
         their fourth generation browsers, it marked a decided turning point in the
         so-called "war." Internet Explorer 4.0 was a tremendous leapfrog ahead of Microsoft's
         previous browser version. Most importantly, IE 4.0 finally met (or exceeded) most of
         the capabilities of its rival's browser.
         <br><br>

         In the long intervening years since IE 4.0's release, Netscape took a long time 
         to answer the challenge posed by IE. It took the Mozilla project more than 4 
         years to release its "1.0" version. Meanwhile, the market share for the 
         Internet Explorer browser has finally succeeded in its goal of having dominant 
         market share. It now commands (by many reports) approximately 80% of the 
         browser market or more, with Netscape trailing far behind.
         <br><br>

         Will this trend continue? Will a new version of another browser 
         rise to take IE's crown? Only time will tell...
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><big><b class="mainheading">Browser<br>Timelines</b></big></td>
     <td valign=top align=left colspan=2>
         The time line represented below is for the 32 bit versions. Other IE
         platforms, including 16-bit windows, do not ship simultaneously with
         the 32-bit versions. Consequently there have been some intermediate
         version numbers on other platforms that are not detailed here.<br>
         <b class="subheading">IE 1.5:</b> Includes HTML Table support, but
         no IE 2.0 HTML extensions such as Marquees and BGSounds.<br>
         <b class="subheading">IE 2.1:</b> Supports frames and complex tables
         but no Javascript, Java or ActiveX ability. <br>
         <b class="subheading">IE 2.5:</b> The features of 2.1 plus Javascript
         support, but still no Java ability and ActiveX.</td>
</tr>

<tr>
     <td valign=top><big><b class="mainheading">Shipping<br>Vehicles</b></big></td>
     <td valign=top align=left colspan=2>
         Over the course of its history, Microsoft has shipped various versions of 
         IE as the default browser on its operating systems.<br><br>
 
         <table cellpadding=2 style="border: 3px solid black; padding: 5px">
         <tr><th align=left class="subheading">IE Version</th>
             <th>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</th>
             <th align=left class="subheading">Shipped With</th></tr>
         <tr><th colspan=3><hr></th></tr>
         <tr><th><b class="l3heading">1.0</b></th><td rowspan=7>&nbsp;</td><td><b class=alert>Win 95 PLUS pack</b> (not part of Win95 by default)</td></tr>
         <tr><th><b class="l3heading">2.0</b></th><td><b class=alert>Win NT4</b></td></tr>
         <tr><th><b class="l3heading">3.0</b></th><td><b class=alert>Win 95 OSR2</b></td></tr>
         <tr><th><b class="l3heading">4.0</b></th><td><b class=alert>Win 98</b></td></tr>
         <tr><th><b class="l3heading">5.0</b></th><td><b class=alert>Win 98 SE</b> and <b class=alert>Win 2000</b></td></tr>
         <tr><th><b class="l3heading">5.5</b></th><td><b class=alert>Win Millennium Edition (ME)</b></td></tr>
         <tr><th><b class="l3heading">6.0</b></th><td><b class=alert>Win XP Home/Pro</b></td></tr>
         </table>
     </td>
</tr>

<tr>
     <td valign=top><big><b class="mainheading">Browser/OS<br>Integration</b></big></td>
     <td valign=top align=left colspan=2>Beginning with IE version 3, the browser 
     and its components became very tightly coupled with the Microsoft operating systems 
     they were installed on (which was an issue in a major lawsuit against the company.) <br>
     This had several effects:
     <ul>
     <li>IE could not be uninstalled from the system
     <li>IE could only be upgraded to versions newer than the default version for an operating system
     <li>Multiple versions of IE could not exist at the same time on a system
     </ul>
     In May, 2003 Microsoft stated that it would no longer produce new stand-alone
     versions of its browser, and that the browser would only be upgraded when 
     installing new versions of its operating system. The implications of this 
     are not trivial: users of any existing Microsoft OS will never be able to 
     get an upgrade for their IE browser on their current systems.
     </td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><big><b class="mainheading">The Future</b></big></td>
     <td valign=top align=left colspan=2>When the newest version of IE ("IE7"?) finally comes shipped 
     with Microsoft's next operating system (currently code-named "Longhorn"), it will have 
     been about 4 years since the release of IE6. Microsoft's browser is currently firmly entrenched
     as the dominant browser on the Windows platform now, but this long time-frame gives 
     its competitors time to build some steam. The fact that IE will no longer receive 
     new version updates on any <b><em>existing</em></b> operating system seems like a risky move, as many
     people as well as companies do not upgrade right away. This could give competitors
     a chance to build market share. Time will, of course, tell.</td>
</tr>

<tr><td colspan=3><hr></td></tr>

<tr>
     <td align=left><big><b class="mainheading">Version</b></big></td>
     <td align=left><big><b class="mainheading">Released</b></big></td>
     <td align=left><big><b class="mainheading">Features</b></big></td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td><hr width="90%" align=left></td>
     <td><hr width="90%" align=left></td>
     <td><hr width="50%" align=left></td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">1.0</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Aug. 1995</b></td>
     <td align=left>This was the base release included in the Windows 95 PLUS
         pack product release.</td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan=3><hr width="75%" align=left></td></tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">2.0B1</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Oct. 1995</b></td>
     <td align=left>The Beta release of 2.0 came very soon after the 1.0 version
         and added support for tables and several new HTML elements.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">2.0</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Nov. 1995</b></td>
     <td align=left>Version 2.0 Final Release</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top></td>
     <td valign=top></td>
     <td align=left><b class="alert">IE2 shipped with Windows NT 4.0</b></td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan=3><hr width="75%" align=left></td></tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">3.0A1</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Mar. 1996</b></td>
     <td align=left>This limited release of 3.0 adds full support for the
         current HTML tables specification, frames and more HTML elements.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">3.0B1</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">May. 1996</b></td>
     <td align=left>The first public release of 3.0 added scripting support
         (VB and Java) as well as more HTML support in addition to the features
         available in the first Alpha</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">3.0B2</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Jul. 1996</b></td>
     <td align=left>The second beta release of 3.0 added support for Cascading Style
         Sheets and Java applets.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">3.0</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Aug. 1996</b></td>
     <td align=left>Version 3.0 Final Release</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">3.01</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Oct. 1996</b></td>
     <td align=left>Version 3.0 Update Release. Among other things, fixed
         a major behavioral bug in style sheet margin treatment.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top></td>
     <td valign=top></td>
     <td align=left><b class="alert">IE3 shipped with Windows 95 OSR2</b></td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan=3><hr width="75%" align=left></td></tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">4.0B1</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Apr. 1997</b></td>
     <td align=left>Also known as the Platform Preview 1, this is the
         first release of a major update to the browser. Improved style sheet
         support and Microsoft's Document Object Model add many new attributes
         and display abilities to the browser.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">4.0B2</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Jul. 1997</b></td>
     <td align=left>Also known as the Platform Preview 2. <em>MANY</em> changes
         and additions in style sheet support, HTML capabilities and other things.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">4.0</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Oct. 1997</b></td>
     <td align=left>Version 4.0 Final Release. Many more changes and additions
         in style sheet support, HTML capabilities and other things.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">4.01</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Nov. 1997</b></td>
     <td align=left>Version 4.0 update Release.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top></td>
     <td valign=top></td>
     <td align=left><b class="alert">IE4 shipped with Windows 98</b></td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan=3><hr width="75%" align=left></td></tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">5.0B1</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Jun. 1998</b></td>
     <td align=left>Also known as the Developer Preview, this is a new major
         update to the browser. Support for more CSS2 features is a highlight
         of this release.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">5.0B2</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Nov. 1998</b></td>
     <td align=left>Also known as the Public Preview. Bi-directional text, rubies
         and direct XML/XSL support are new features included in this release. Also included
         are many new CSS properties.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">5.0</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Mar. 1999</b></td>
     <td align=left>Version 5.0 Final Release. </td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top></td>
     <td valign=top></td>
     <td align=left><b class="alert">IE5 shipped with Windows 98SE and Windows 2000</b></td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan=3><hr width="75%" align=left></td></tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">5.5B1</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Dec. 1999</b></td>
     <td align=left>Also known as the Developer Preview. A few changes to the
         implementation of frames and some new CSS properties are supported.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">5.5</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Jul. 2000</b></td>
     <td align=left>Version 5.5 Final Release.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top></td>
     <td valign=top></td>
     <td align=left><b class="alert">IE5.5 shipped with Windows Millennium Edition (ME)</b></td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan=3><hr width="75%" align=left></td></tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">6.0B1</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Mar. 2001</b></td>
     <td align=left>More CSS changes and bug fixes to be more spec-compliant.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">6.0</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Oct. 2001</b></td>
     <td align=left>Version 6.0 Final Release. Released in conjunction with Microsoft Windows XP.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top><b class="subheading">6.0SP1</b></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">Sep. 2002</b></td>
     <td align=left>Security fix update.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top></td>
     <td valign=top></td>
     <td align=left><b class="alert">IE6 shipped with Windows XP Home/Pro</b></td>
</tr>
<tr><td colspan=3><hr width="75%" align=left></td></tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">May. 2003</b></td>
     <td align=left><b class="alert">Microsoft settles pending lawsuits with AOL/TimeWarner.
     Part of the settlement includes 750 Million US dollars plus an agreement for 
     AOL to continue to use IE, royalty-free, as its default browser for the next 
     7 years.</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
     <td valign=top></td>
     <td valign=top><b class="l3heading">May. 2003</b></td>
     <td align=left><b class="alert">Microsoft announces that IE will no longer be 
     released as a stand-alone browser, rather it will only be released with 
     new operating system releases.</b></td>
</tr>

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</table>

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